Shopping bags



A.JORTIKKA 3,414,032

SHOPPING BAGS Filed March 5, 1967 United States Patent SHOPPING BAGSAnnikki Jortikka, Murtokatu 3 B62,

Jarvenpaa, Finland Filed Mar. 3, 1967, Ser. No. 620,420

'Claims priority, application Finland, Oct. 5, 1966, 2,612/66; Nov. 24,1966, 3,110/66 3 Claims. (Cl. 150--1.7)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to an improvement in ashopping bag made of plastic film, and comprising plastic straps whichare fastened to the film by welding. According to the invention a canalis formed around the mouth of the bag for accommodating said straps, theplastic film constituting the canal having holes cut therein to exposesaid straps for the purpose of grasping the bag in use.

Shopping bags made of thin plastic film in the form of a tube arenowadays in general use. These have been made so that one end of theplastic tube has been closed by welding, while straps have been formedin one way or another at the other end. In a well-known bag, handles areformed so that both ends of a piece of tubular plastic film have firstbeen fastened by welding, whereafter one or more pieces have been cutout of one end, whereat a part of the Welding joint becomessimultaneously cut, so that one or more projecting parts, closed at theouter end by the welding joint and forming straps, remain in this partof the bag. Such straps, formed of the plastic film itself, are not,however, durable enough. Moreover, the bag looks unpleasant because ofthe flabby straps. Furthermore, putting goods into the bag is difficult,as the mouth of the bag lacks any support.

The purpose of the present invention is to obviate the disadvantagesmentioned above and to provide a shopping bag which looks more pleasantand the straps of which are more durable than those of the known bags.The straps may also act as means supporting the mouth of the bag.

According to the present invention, there is provided a shopping bagmade of plastic film, .and comprising plastic straps which are fastenedto the film by welding, there being a canal formed around the mouth ofthe bag for accommodating said straps, the plastic film constituting thecanal having holes cut therein to expose said straps for the purpose ofgrasping the bag in use.

The straps of this shopping bag resist heavy loads. This is caused bythe fact that the weight of the loaded bag is not only directed to thewelded spots, but it is also divided evenly along the mouth of the bag,because of the friction between the strap and the canal Wall. Thestraps, hidden inside the canal, stiffen the mouth and give a pleasantlook to the bag.

In one embodiment of the invention, the straps extend from one edge ofthe mouth to the other and they are fastened to the plastic film by thesame welding joints which close the side edges of the bag. The mouth ofthe bag can be easily opened for putting goods into the bag. When theuncovered parts of the straps are grasped and the bag is lifted, themouth of the bag is partly puckered up into a regular shape, giving apleasant look to the bag. The puckering up can be facilitated bypreparing the straps of smooth plastic or smoothing them with wax, forinstance, so that the friction between the strap and the canal wall isreduced. No additional measures are necessary for fastening the strapsto the plastic film, as the straps have been fastened by the samewelding joints which close the side edges of the bag.

3,414,032 Patented! Dec. 3, 1968 It is appropriate that the straps, atleast on the side, are made of wavelike plastic ribbon and that they areplaced into their canals with the wavelike sides directed towards eachother, so that the canal walls become locked between the waves at theWelding joint. In a bag of this type the welding joint is absolutelydurable at the straps. The wave profiles give, because of their shape,additional strength to the joint.

The plastic film and the straps are of the same plastic material, sothat an intimate joint is formed between these at the side joint of thebag. In order to prevent the edges of the plastic ribbon straps fromcutting the canal Wall, the edges of the straps are rounded.

The invention is described by way of example with reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a plastic shopping bag, when flattened down,

FIG. 2 is a section, on enlarged scale, of part of the shopping bag,taken along the line II--II in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 corresponds to FIG. 1 but shows the shopping bag in the carryingposition, when loaded with goods.

The shopping bag shown in the drawing can be simply prepared of tubularplastic film 1, with folds on both edges. The plastic fil-m may, forinstance, consist of polyethylene or polyvinylchloride and be from 0.05to 0.10 mm. in thickness.

When the bag is prepared, holes 3 are punched in the edge of the uniformtube 1. The bottom of the fold 2, situated in the same edges, is therebycut out. The fold 2 constitutes canals 4 around the mouth of the bag.Uniform plastic ribbons 5 are brought into the canals 4, the plasticribbons 5 being wavelike in cross section on one side, the wavelikesides being directed towards each other. The tube 1 is cut off at fixedpoints and the places of crosscut are fastened by welding, along thejoints 6, which form the side edges of the bag. At the same time theplastic ribbons is cut and welded into the side edges 6 of the bag.Finally, the canals 4 are closed by means of welding joints 7. In somecases, however, the canals 4 can be left open. All these steps can bemade automatic, so that only a minimum amount of work is necessary forthe manufacture of the bags.

The plastic ribbons 5 are made of the same material as the plastic film1, for instance, of polyethylene or polyvinylchloride. The breadth ofthe plastic ribbons 5 may be from 10 to 20 mm., the thickness at thepeaks of the waves 0.20 mm. and at the bottoms of the .Waves 0.10 mm.For the sake of clarity, the plastic ribbons 5 are presented in anexaggerated way in FIG. 25

FIG. 3 shows the shape of the loaded bag, when carried.

The different embodiments of the invention can, of course, be varied.Both surfaces of: the plastics ribbons 5 can thus be wavelike. It is,however, advisable that only the surfaces which are directed towardseach other, are made wavelike.

I claim:

1. A bag comprising a bag body of plastic material having oppositeconfronting walls which are joined at their lateral edges and bottom anddefine an open month, each wall including a folded portion at said mouthdefining a canal extending coextensive with said month, said wallshaving aligned cut outs in said folded portions, a plastic ribbonloosely fitted in each folded portion and extending the entire lengththereof, said ribbons being exposed in said cut outs to form a handlefor the bag, and welded joints at said lateral edges respectivelyjoining the walls and folded portions one to the other and the ribbonsto the walls of said folded portions; said ribbons having facingsurfaces which are of wavelike form, the walls of the folded portionbeing welded between the 3 4 wave-like surfaces by said welded joints atsaid lateral 2,457,422 12/1948 Warner 1501.7 edges. 2,608,227 8/1952Witt l50 -1.7 2. A bag as claimed in claim 1 wherein said bag body3,255,951 6/1966 Hung Kay 229-52 and ribbons are constituted of the sameplastic material.

3. A bag as claimed in claim 2 wherein said ribbons 5 FOREIGN PATENTShave edges which are rounded. 204.392 5/1966 Sweden. 734,800 5/1966Canada. References Cited 1,054,510 1/ 1967 Great Britain.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,029,853 4/1962 Plazze 10 DONALD F. NORTON,Plzmary Eaammer. 1,815,106 7/1931 Jostes 150- 1,7 ROBERT PESHOCK,Assistant Examiner.

